The day has finally come for fans of NBC’s Law & Order as its anticipated 19th season is set to air tonight at 10pm. In fact, the long-running show brings back Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy for its 328th episode titled “Rumble.” Tonight, fans will get to see the fatal beating of a stockbroker, which then spurs an epic clash between his family and the group responsible for the murder. As for Waterston, he says he is amazed at the show’s endurance on the airwaves and initially thought that it was going to be a short stint for him.
“I had no idea how long the show was going to last. But I knew I would only be with [Law & Order] for a year,” Waterston says during a telephone conference call with television critics.
The 68-year-old actor later went on to signed a one-year deal with every season of Law and Order that concluded successfully. He explains, “It’s part of the reason why I’m here so long. They have made a long leash and allowed me to sign up year after year after year. I never felt imprisoned here. I’ve always felt free to stay. Free to go.”
As for his character, Waterston says that Jack McCoy “has been long established. The main thing is not developing him but keeping him consistent with himself. I’d say that’s partly my job and partly the writers’ job.”
Series creator Dick Wolf also explained that while cast changes might have discouraged some viewers to continue watching the show, it has also attracted new viewers to tune in.
“You don’t have to see it for a week, a month, a year,” he said. “You come back into a totally complete hour of television with a beginning, middle and an end, and hopefully, a satisfying conclusion. And you can go on your merry way and, if you catch it two years later, it can be a completely different cast. But it still works as exactly the same.”
Catch the 19th season of Law and Order as it begins tonight at 10pm on NBC.
-Valerie Anne del Castillo, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Houston Chronicle, The Tribune
(Photo courtesy of NBC)
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
